PVPDX produces low-cost promotional films for under-resourced non-profits and ministries that showcase their work, while creating a culture of storytelling that empowers the narrative and highlights the agency of the marginalized communities they serve.

VISION:

In the ever expanding field of media, visual assets such as video are fast gaining primacy over written content, not only on the web, but in real world contexts such as church services and fundraisers.

Making high-quality video available to organizations that engage underserved communities is an expression of our commitment to authentic storytelling that amplifies voices not often acknowledged or well-represented in mainstream culture. By capturing the dignity of our subjects, and recognizing the ‘hero’ position they hold within their own struggle, we allow viewers to surrender the savior role and instead respond with support rooted in faith and humility.

While making films is our most direct tool, we feel training and discipling young filmmakers is a further step toward a culture of storytelling that more fully represents the truth of God’s kingdom while equipping a new generation to serve ministries through filmmaking.

We envision a team of creators — motivated by the desire to tell the story of a servant savior through the lives of his children — trained painstakingly in intercultural relations, all technical aspects of filmmaking by our methods (specifically developed to make low cost, high quality film production possible).

Through these two avenues we hope to flood our media heavy, modern culture with stories that provide a template for humanity that is revolutionary in its deep commitment to justice, love and compassion.

STRATEGY:

Currently, PeripheralVisionPDX makes films for hire, attracting clients through relationship and word-of-mouth. Sebastian Rogers and Heather Stevens, the two-person team behind PVPDX, consult and collaborate at various stages of production, keeping costs low by operating independently as self-contained production units — meaning that each principal is able to capture high-quality audio and video through solo, guerilla-style documentary film shoots. Both filmmakers are also editors; Stevens uses her experience as a photographer to color-correct footage, and Rogers his experience as a music producer to sound-mix projects.

The model has been sustainable as a two-person partnership, however, intentionally below-market film budgets mean that unexpected operational costs and/or equipment replacement expenses strain monthly cashflow. The current model also fails to provide capital for expansion or discipleship, i.e. training, oversight and management of new employees and filmmakers-in-training. Finally, it limits PVPDX’s ability to work for and with communities and organizations that do not have media budgets, potentially barring those with the most need for access to media services.

Therefore, with help from various community partners, the company’s principals have determined to achieve non-profit status by the end of the year, gradually shifting its business model to include donation income, in addition to income from media-for-hire. Diversifying PVPDX’s revenue generation methods — but not its product — will ultimately render the company more able to engage fully with the clients and communities it is serving.

Donation/patron income will be solicited in three forms, introduced incrementally in the following order:

1) Individuals will be solicited via personal and Facebook networks to become supporters of the company’s work by contributing $10-50 per month toward operational costs. The donation campaign will be synchronized with a company rebrand which will include promotional media and website redesign. The supporter demographic will likely include primarily those already familiar with the PVPDX and/or its principals.

2) Organizations and media companies sympathetic to PVPDX’s ethics but unable to produce comparable media for less than $10,000 (pro-bono cost) per project (versus PVPDX’s average $3,000 project budget) will be solicited via intentional networking to become ‘Organizational Partners.’ These partners will contribute $300 per month (on a yearly basis) and will have the opportunity to nominate one non-profit/community organization a year to receive a promotional film made by PVPDX. Organizations may apply directly to PVPDX for a pro-bono video through our website, and appropriate applicants will be presented to partners for possible nomination. The schedule for production of promotional videos will be determined by PVPDX with input from Organizational Partners and the non-profits they nominate.

3) ‘Patrons’ inspired by the idea of discipleship and replication/growth of our model will be sought to contribute $7,500 ($1500 a month for a five-month training and discipleship program) in support of the development of a young filmmaker, chosen from applicants to PVPDX. [$5,000 of the gift will be paid to the filmmaker for living costs while in the program, thus enabling applicants from varied socioeconomic backgrounds to participate. $2,500 will go to PVPDX for training and operational expenses.]